Update: Trash Pick-up Ordinance Fails
By: Staff
Updated: March 19, 2013
Monday Update: The Ouachita Parish Police Jury decided against an ordinance that would have require some parish residents to have contracted trash pick-up.
The vote was four against and two for the ordinance.
Many of the people sitting before the Ouachita Parish Police Jury agreed.
The vote was four against and two for the ordinance.
Many of the people sitting before the Ouachita Parish Police Jury agreed.
There's a trash problem in the parish.
"When someone drives up on the road, stop in front of your house and put their trash on your yard, it's time to stop," one parish resident said.
An ordinance was up for a vote, one that would require commercial and residential properties to have a garbage pick-up contract.
The penalty for no contract would have been a $100 fine or 40 hours of community service or both and not everyone was in favor.
Some local landlords called the ordinance a breach of private enterprise.
"If I want to fix something, I'll fix it myself. I'm not required to go pay someone else to fix it," parish landlord Ryan Gonzales said. "Why should I be required to pick up the trash for my tenants? Most of them do have trash pick-up."
The final vote did not go over well with ordinance's author.
"People said no because they thought it was big government, but in my point of view, if it was big government, it was for a good reason," District F Police Juror, Pat Moore, said.
But Moore is sending the message to supporters that the garbage problem will be addressed somehow.
"Let's still work together and let's find ways and we will be coming back to the table to try to find out ways to improve it, but accountability and responsibility has got to be on the tables," Moore said.
OUACHITA PARISH -- The Ouachita Parish Police Jury will have a final vote Monday on an ordinance that will require some parish residents to have contracted trash pick-up.
Police Juror Pat Moore revamped an ordinance she introduced back in November. It now only requires owners of residential rental units to have a garbage contract. Before all owners of residential and commercial properties were included. The new ordinance also changes the penalty for not having garbage collection, from jail time, to a 100-dollar fine, 40 hours of community service or both.
The previous ordinance was up for a final vote in December, but was not passed after residents at a public hearing voiced concerns.
She hopes the ordinance will target the illegal dumping problem in the parish.
The meeting begins at 5:30 PM, Monday, March 18, Ouachita Parish Courthouse, second floor.
